Envelope



Get. 30, 1951 J. A. Russo 2,573.610

ENVELOPE Flled Oct. 14, 1949 v 3 Sheet s-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JOSEPH A RUSSO ATTORNEYS J. A. RUSSO Oct. 30, 1951 ENVELOPE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Figs: Sci.

INVENTOR JOSEPH A RUSSO ATTORNEY Oct. 30, 1951 J. A. Russo 2,573,610

ENVELOPE Filed Oct. 14, 1949 3 Sheet's-Sheet 3 E o m m INVENTOR N JOSEPH A.RUSSO i1 Mp? ,LMM)

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 30, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,573,610 ENVELOPE I Joseph A. Russo, Pittsburgh, Pa. 7 Application October 14, 1949, Serial No. 121,289

Claims.

This invention relates to envelopes used primarily for mailing purposes, and more particularly, to a novel envelope having means for quickly and easily opening same and extracting the enclosed letters or other contents without any possibility of tearing or mutilating the contents.

Briefly described, the specific embodiment of the .invention disclosed herein for purposes of illustration comprises an envelope having a string disposed along one edge for tearing the latter open when pulled, an extractor loop adapted to surround and engage the contents of the envelope so as to. extract the contents of the envelope when the loop is drawn outwardly, guide means to mount said extractor loop for rectilinear sliding movement, and tear string means for automatically severing said loop when the latter reaches a predetermined outward position so as to enable the contents to be readily dissociated from the loop after extraction.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an envelope which may be quickly and easily opened and emptied without any possibility of tearing or mutilating the enclosed contents.

Another object is to provide a novel extractor means for engaging the contents of the envelope.

and for extracting the contents when moved outwardly.

A further object of the invention is to provida novel means for slidably mounting said extrac tor means for guided rectilinear movement as said means and contents are pulled outwardly from the envelope.

Another and important object of the present invention is to provide a construction whereby the, extractor will be automatically disengaged from the contents when said means and said contents have been drawn outwardly from the envelope, whereby the extractor means may be readily dissociated from the contents after extraction.

Other objects and advantages are either inherent in the invention as claimed and disclosed or will be readily apparent from both the detailed description hereinbelow and the drawings Wherein is described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. It is to be understood that the scope'of the invention is delineated in the appended claims, the specific embodiment shown and described being merely an exemplification.

In the drawings: 7

Figures 1, 2, and 3 are perspective views showing the manner and sequence of operations in opening the envelope and extracting the contents therefrom;

Figure 4 is a rear face view of the envelope,

with the rear face partially broken away;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of one end of the envelope showing the tear string drawn taut and about to sever the extractor loop;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional viewtaken.

ing the details of construction of the rear end portion of. the extractor loop.

Referring to the drawings and in particular to Figure 8, the pattern or blank from which the envelope is formed is indicated generally by the reference numeral l5. Blank l5 comprises a front wall portion l6 and a flap or rear wall portion 11 joined to the portion H5 at the foldline l8. Flap portions l9 and 20 extend laterally from the front wall portion l6 and are joined thereto at fold-lines 2| and 22 respectively. At

the top of the front wall portion I6 is a sealing.

flap 23 provided with adhesive indicated at 24. It is obvious that the blank or pattern l5 may be folded and sealed to form an envelope by folding the rear wall portion l1 upwardly and then folding the laterally extending flap portions [9, 20 inwardly over the rear wall portion I'I.

Referring now to Figure 9, there is shown a means for extracting the contents of the envelope, said extracting means being in the form of an extractor loop indicated generally by the reference numeral 25. The extractor loop 25 comprises an elongated U-shaped -member 26. As shown in Figure 11, each of the ends of the legs of the elongated U-shaped member 26 has integral therewith a relatively wide portion 21 having a flap 28 and a slit 29 extending in a direction parallel to the elongated legs of U-shaped member 26. It will be noted that only the end of one of the elongated legs of member 26 is shown in Figure 11, the end of the other leg being identical therewith. The reference numeral 3! 7 for z lrfidedi fiotilinear movement.

nectar lo p .25 is: mr'mally disposed within the: nv lepeaml extends imgitudi-na-Jiy;thereoi, the.

indicates a member adapted to be secured to I letters or other contents (indicated at C) being disposed within the loop 25.

As best seen in Figure 4, there is provided a string 60 having one end secured to the righthand edge 6| of the envelope as at 62. The opposite end of the strin 60 passes through the loop portion 34 and is secured together as at 63 in Figure 10 so as to form a loop 64 surrounding r the relative narrow section .31 of the loop portion being of the same shape as the part shown.

The weakened loop portion 34 is tapered as at and 36 so as to form a relative narrow sectiiin at the fold-line 31. Extending from eachof the tapered portions 35, 36 is a member38" having 7 Y a fold-line indicated at 39 so as to iormaflapnfll. 3

The elements 26, 30 and 34 are assembled to form the continuous extractor loop 25 in the following manner:

The portion 21 is placed insuperimposed r elation with respect to flanges ;32"=and 33j-the apex of the triangular shaped portion 31 extending th-rougldth 'e slit 29". Thefiaps 2S are-then folded over flanges 32, 33 soflas to lie flat against said flanges 32 and33, as best seen inFigure l0. 7 The imem'be r 33" is then inserted through" the-triangular-shapedportibn 3 and the flap 4D is folded over-"so as-to lie 'iiat againstthe base 3!" of the Flaps 23' and d5 triangular-shaped portion 3 be'secured-to the-flanges-fiE, 38 and the base portion 3?; respectively, by mucilage 01' othersui'ta'ble means.

Theitwo oppositely disposed flange-like constructions formed by portions?! and'flanges 32, 3,3 are adapted to be ,slidably mounted Within longitudinal grooves or channels so .as to guide the extractor'loop 25 iormovement in a rectilinear path, as will be described herein below. I As best shown in Figures 4, 6 and 7, the front and rear wall. portions 1.6,. 11 of the'envelope are each provided at their interior surfaces with a pair'ofspaced strips 58, 5,! and 52 53,.respectimely. ,The upper strips 50, .52 of each pair are secured resnectively to (the. wall portions l5,

l1 at-theirupper ends .as indicated at .54 and 5,5 Figure 6. .Similar-ly, the lower strips 5!,

5310;" each pair a-reusecuned to the respective envelope wallportions at their lower ends: as

indicated at-5.6 5:1; respectively. The lower lon-V itndinaredges of the ,up st ip '50.. 51 are slightlfyspacedgabove the upperlongitudinaledges oithelower strips'aland 53;; as 'bestseenat 58 inFignre 4. It will be obvious that the space between'stri'ps 53; 55's the adjacent front. wall" portion 15 provides a channel or groove extendng l n itudinally. of the-envelope. similarly, strips 52; :53 cooperate: with the adjacent .rear wall portion 411 to term a .channelor groove-opposi-te-to and extendingparallel with that stemmed lJ an-dthe strips 551; 51., e2, 53; The'zoooperating wall 1 9 10 and strips thususerve to providewa means for slidably mounting the extractor loop The ex- 7 34. It will be noted that when the extractor loop 25 is in its initial position as shown in Fig- :use 4, the string 6!] is slack.

At the opposite or left-hand end 69 of the envelope as viewed in Figure 4, there isprovided a means. in the form of a string 10 for quickly 7 and efilciently'openin the end 69 of the envelope.

The lower end of the string 10 is secured to the corner of the envelope as at H and the string 19 extendsinteriorly of the envelope and upwardly along the edge formed by the fold-line 2|. The. upper end 12: :of the string '10 projects-outwardly-tromthe envelope; so as to enable the upper end l-i to: be manually gripped. Secured t0- the left-hand end of the extractor loop 25 is'a string T3 for apurpose :to be described' below.

Operation The manner of opening the envelope and" extracting "the contents (3' therefrom will now be described; 'Referring particularly to Figures 1;, 2 3,. thepenvelope is first grasped in the manner shown iIl' FigllIfQ 1, the operator gripping the projecting end 'l? of the tear string!!! and pulling? outwardly and downwardly on the string-Tllso as to'rip open the .end 69 of the envelope" alon the fold-line '21. The operator then grasps the string '53,. asshown' in Figurefl', andpulls the string outwardl'y'so as to draw the extractor loop25through the open end 69 of the envelope. The extractor loop 25' surrounds the contents 0 and draws the contents (3 outwardly to the position shown in Figure 3; Referring to Figure "5, it will be noted that at 'a-predetermined outward" position of the" extractor loop 25'"and the contents C, theistring fi'dwi'l'l'havebeerr drawn taut. JThereupon, conv tinued tension on the string 13 and continued" outwardmovementof the extractor-loop 2-5'causes the'l'oop'fii l of the string 6.0" to tear or sever the relatively weak narrow section 31 of the loop portion 34. It will be obvious that when the-weak portion 3'? is torn or severed the extractor loop 25 will nolenger'bein the form of'a continuous loop--but will consist merely of two longitudinal strips joined together at only one end, the opening at the torn or severed end enabling the ear-- ere'd extractor -loop 25' to be easily removed from the contents C after the loop-25 and contentsrC have been partially-or completely ext-rafit'ed' from the envelopei i '1'- claim: a e

l. in combination with an envelope having frsnt -and r-ear naps-and a detachable end' fiap; an extractor longitudinally movable in said" envelopa and including substantially parallel 'arms cemented to-form a-eonti nuous loop, said-armsbe'ing positioned Whollywithin the envelope and coextensive length therewith and 7 V the extractor in order that the same may manually engaged and pulled outwardly-to withdraw the eontents sf 'the enyelope ltherefiome 2. In combination with an envelope having front and rear flaps and a detachable end flap, an extractor longitudinally slidable in said envelope and including substantially parallel arms connected at one end, a severable member for temporarily connecting the opposite ends of said arms together, flexible means connecting the severable member to the envelope and arranged when the ejector is moved outwardly beyond a predetermined distance to separate the severable member into sections and disconnect the ends of the arms from each other, said arms being positioned wholly within the envelope and arranged to receive between them the contents of the envelope, guide means slidably connecting the arms of the extractor to the front and rear flaps, and means for severing the detachable end flap so as to expose the adjacent ends of the arms in order that they may be manually engaged and pulled outwardly to remove the contents of the envelope.

3. In combination with an envelope as called for in claim 2 in which said guide means includes longitudinal grooves formed in the front and rear flaps, and said arms having means slidably mounted in said grooves for maintaining the extractor in proper position when moved relative to the envelope.

4. In combination with an envelope having front and rear flaps and a detachable end flap, an extractor longitudinally movable in said envelope and including substantially parallel arms connected to form a continuous loop adapted to enclose the contents of the envelope, said loop being provided at one end with a weakened portion, flexible mean connected to said weakened portion and the envelope and arranged when the ejector is moved outwardly beyond a predetermined distance to sever the loop, uide means on said front and read flaps for slidably receiving portions of said arms, and means for severing the detachable end of the flap so as to expose the arms of the ejector in order that they may be manually engaged and pulled outwardly to remove the contents of the envelope therefrom.

5. In combination with an envelope having front and rear flaps and a detachable end flap, an extractor longitudinally movable in said envelope and including a substantially U-shaped member having parallel arms terminating in laterally extending portions, a weakened strip connected to said arms, the contents of said envelope arranged to be confined between the arms and said strip, a string connected at one end to said strip and at its other end to the envelope, said string when the ejector is moved outwardly beyond a predetermined distance severing the strip so as to release said arms and allow removal of the contents of the envelope therefrom, longitudinally disposed guide means on said front and rear flaps for slidably receiving the lateral portions of said arms, and means for severing the detachable end flap so as to withdraw the ejector and contents of the envelope and when the ejector is moved outwardly a predetermined distance to sever the weakened strip.

JOSEPH A. RUSSO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 985,339 Geiger Feb. 28, 1911 1,104,298 Hari July 21, 1914 1,135,444 Elkes Apr. 13, 1915 1,702,401 Erickson Feb. 19, 1929 

